Tag

Energy Metabolism

All articles tagged with #energy metabolism

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Creatine as Immune Fuel: A New Route to Boost Cancer Immunotherapy

A UCLA-led study shows creatine can power dendritic cells and killer T cells to attack cancer, potentially enhancing immunotherapies. In human cells and mouse tumor models, higher creatine transport into dendritic cells correlated with stronger T-cell activation, and boosting creatine slowed tumor growth in mice. The findings are preliminary (cell culture and animal work) and clinical trials are planned; patients should not self-administer creatine to treat cancer without a doctor.

via ScienceAlert|

#cancer-immunotherapy #creatine #dendritic-cells

science1 month ago•19 min saved

Mitochondria as the Mind’s Energy Engineers

Columbia’s Martin Picard posits that mitochondria—the cell’s energy transformers—shape health, mood, and consciousness, linking energy flow to the experience of life. Through the mitochondrial health index and brain maps, his team seeks to turn energy patterns into a unifying framework for disease and wellbeing, with chamber studies and real-world trials guiding a planned nonprofit institute; the ideas are provocative and still require broader validation.

via Quanta Magazine|

#consciousness #energy-metabolism #health

science1 month ago•8 min saved

Energy Stress Behind Statin Muscle Pain, New Research Finds

McMaster University researchers have shown that statins can disrupt muscle cell energy production, triggering immune signaling that leads to inflammation and muscle damage. Blocking this immune response reduced damage, suggesting side effects may be separable from cholesterol-lowering benefits and could guide future therapies to improve statin tolerability.

via SciTechDaily|

#energy-metabolism #immune-signaling #inflammation

science3 months ago•4 min saved

Hypergravity Reshapes Fruit Fly Biology—with Lasting, Generational Effects

UC Riverside researchers exposed fruit flies to 4–13G using a centrifuge for 24 hours or across 10 generations, then returned them to normal 1G. The flies kept their startle-triggered geotaxis but showed markedly reduced spontaneous movement at higher gravity, likely due to energy conservation and shifts in lipid metabolism. After return to 1G, 4G-exposed flies became briefly hyperactive, while higher-G flies recovered slowly with lasting locomotor impairments; multigenerational exposure caused even greater, enduring deficits. The findings suggest gravity exposure can induce lasting physiological changes, potentially epigenetic, with implications for artificial gravity design and astronaut health during space travel.

via Universe Today|

#drosophila #energy-metabolism #epigenetics

health-and-medicine5 months ago•6 min saved

Brain energy imbalance linked to early depression, study finds

A study of 18 young adults with major depressive disorder found brain and blood cells produce more energy at rest but have a reduced ability to ramp up energy under stress, suggesting a cellular energy imbalance may drive fatigue and low motivation and could aid earlier diagnosis and personalized therapies.

via ScienceDaily|

#atp #depression #early-diagnosis

science5 months ago•6 min saved

Brain Afterburn: Exercise Rewires a Key Hypothalamic Circuit to Boost Endurance

A Neuron study in mice shows that endurance gains from repeated workouts rely on brain changes after exercise, specifically SF1 neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus that stay active for at least an hour post-exercise; training enhances SF1 activity and the number of activated neurons, and blocking these neurons or silencing them after exercise abolishes endurance gains, indicating post-exercise brain activity is crucial for long-term adaptation and could inform strategies to help aging or mobility-impaired individuals stay active.

via SciTechDaily|

#endurance #energy-metabolism #post-exercise-brain-activity

health-and-wellness7 months ago•1 min saved

Strategic Fasting: A Key to Losing Belly Fat

Strategic fasting, a mindful and structured eating pattern, may be an effective way to lose belly fat by improving how the body stores and uses energy, offering an alternative to simply exercising more or reducing calories.

via Daily Nation|

#bellyfat #energy-metabolism #fasting

health7 months ago•3 min saved

Type 2 Diabetes Causes Physical Changes in the Heart, Study Finds

A study by the University of Sydney reveals that type 2 diabetes causes specific molecular and structural changes in the human heart, including fibrosis and altered energy production, which contribute to a higher risk of heart failure, offering new insights for treatment and diagnosis.

via ScienceDaily|

#diabetes #energy-metabolism #health

health10 months ago•2 min saved

Just 30 Minutes of Light Activity Daily Enhances Mood and Metabolism

Reducing daily sitting time by just 30 minutes can boost energy and improve metabolism, especially in inactive individuals at risk for heart disease and diabetes, by enhancing the body's ability to switch between fats and carbohydrates for energy.

via Good News Network|

#disease-prevention #energy-metabolism #health

science1 year ago•2 min saved

New research links brain energy overload to the sleep trigger

A study from the University of Oxford reveals that sleep may be triggered by electrical stress in mitochondria within brain cells, which leak electrons when overloaded, signaling the brain to initiate sleep to prevent cellular damage. This discovery links energy metabolism directly to sleep regulation and could impact understanding of fatigue, aging, and neurological disorders.

via Yahoo Home|

#brain #cellular-stress #energy-metabolism

science1 year ago•2 min saved

New Study Links Brain Cell Energy Overload to Sleep Trigger

A study by Oxford researchers suggests that sleep is triggered by mitochondrial electron leaks in brain cells, which act as warning signals to restore energy balance and prevent cellular damage, providing a physical explanation for the biological need for sleep.

via Phys.org|

#biological-drive #energy-metabolism #mitochondria

science1 year ago•4 min saved

Gut Microbes: The Secret to Human Brain Evolution

A study by Northwestern University suggests that gut microbes may have played a crucial role in the evolution of larger brains in primates by influencing energy production and usage. Researchers found that gut microbes from larger-brained primates like humans and squirrel monkeys enhanced energy production in mice, while those from smaller-brained primates like macaques favored fat storage. This indicates that gut microbiota differences evolved to meet the higher energy demands of larger brains, offering new insights into human evolution and the role of gut microbes in shaping metabolic traits.

via Neuroscience News|

#brain-evolution #energy-metabolism #gut-microbiota

health-science2 years ago•6 min saved

"Long COVID Linked to 4-Fold Increase in Chronic Fatigue Risk, CDC Study Shows"

A new study published in Nature Communications explains the impact of post-exertional malaise (PEM) on long COVID patients, revealing widespread muscle damage, changes in muscle composition, and disrupted energy metabolism after exercise. Long COVID patients experience a unique phenomenon where their ability to generate energy is impaired, leading to a rapid decline in mitochondrial function and metabolism. Additionally, they exhibit changes in muscle fiber composition and an impaired ability to recover from exercise, resulting in muscle damage, scarring, inflammation, and blood clots. The study emphasizes the importance of pacing to minimize the severity and duration of post-exertional malaise for long COVID patients.

via National Geographic|

#energy-metabolism #exercise #health-science

health2 years ago•3 min saved

"Breast Cancer Cells: Fueling Up by Consuming Surroundings, Study Finds"

A new study suggests that breast cancer cells consume the matrix surrounding them to obtain nutrients and support their growth, revealing a previously unknown mechanism of cancer cell survival. The cells take up and break down extracellular matrix through a process called macropinocytosis, and rely on the metabolic conversion of key amino acids to energy-releasing substrates. Targeting this process could represent a novel therapeutic approach for breast cancer treatment.

via Medical Xpress|

#breast-cancer #cancer-cells #energy-metabolism

health2 years ago•2 min saved

The Role of Fructose in Weight Gain: Exploring the Link

Researchers have proposed a new hypothesis that fructose, a sugar found in many modern foods, may be the ultimate driver of obesity. Studies have shown that fructose suppresses the function of mitochondria, leading to a low-energy state that triggers hunger and thirst. This can result in chronic overeating and the storage of excess calories as fat. High-fructose corn syrup in processed foods is a common source of fructose, but other sugars and refined carbohydrates also generate fructose in the body. The researchers suggest avoiding sugary foods, watching salt intake, limiting red meat and alcohol consumption, and engaging in regular exercise to mitigate the effects of fructose. They are also working on developing a drug that inhibits fructose metabolism.

via Big Think|

#dietary-tips #energy-metabolism #fructose